


Christmas Oak

by Talsi74656



Series: Talsi's Twelve Days of Ficmas [1]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Endgame Fixer, F/M, Ficmas, Homecoming, Leaving Voyager
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-04 13:12:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5335367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talsi74656/pseuds/Talsi74656
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kathryn is having a rather difficult time leaving Voyager, feeling lost and alone now that she has accomplished her goal.</p><p>Endgame Fixer.</p><p>On the first day of ficmas Talsi gave to me, a fluffy fic about an oak tree!</p><p>The first of my twelve days of ficmas J/C fics. They do not need to be read in any specific order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beverlytrekkie1949](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=beverlytrekkie1949).



> This fic was written with the line 'How did you know I wanted coffee for Christmas?', provided by beverlytrekkie1949 on tumblr. I hoped you enjoy it!
> 
> I'd also like thank tardisbluecoffeeblack on tumblr (aka abrokenpieceoftruth) for an awesome beta!
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> Paramount own it, I'm just fixing it.

Kathryn stared blankly at the image on the viewscreen. In all of her years fighting for Voyager she never imagined that she would make it, that she would see Earth again.  
  
The brilliant blue and green orb almost seemed like an illusion. Perhaps it was? A spectacular one, if so. Dozens of starships were visible in orbit. She could make out the clouds above Australia and New Zealand. _A damn fine illusion_ , she supposed.  
  
Voyager had been here for almost three days now, though. If this was another mind-altering encounter, it was taking its time revealing the truth.  
  
Her entire crew had departed. Starfleet’s crews were ready to board, to dissect the computer core and remove all non-Federation technology.  
  
She couldn’t stand the idea of their teams coming in and butchering her ship. Voyager had been their home, didn’t Starfleet understand that? Then again that’s probably why they asked the crew to leave.  
  
Kathryn needed to depart, but she was having a _hell_ of a time standing from the Captain’s chair. She’d been trying all day, to no avail.  
  
She couldn’t be here for the beginning of the procedure. Oh, the crews would start whether she was aboard or not, the process wasn’t dangerous at all, but she couldn’t bear to watch them work. Voyager deserved so much more than Starfleet was giving her, and on _Christmas_ of all days!  
  
Her family expected her to join them on the surface. Her mother had organised to host a dinner party and had been overjoyed that Kathryn would be there this year. She _should_ – join them. Her eyes flicked to the chronometer and she frowned; she was half an hour late.  
  
She made yet another feeble effort to stand, but her legs refused to comply.  
  
How could she leave? Voyager had been her life for _seven years_. She’d fought tooth and nail. She’d given everything she _had_ to this ship and her crew and all she had to show for it was a box of possessions, the high probability of court-martial and a broken heart.  
  
_Still_ , she reminded herself once again, _I got them home_. That was worth any punishment Starfleet, or the universe could dream up, worth everything she’d sacrificed.  
  
She drew a deep breath in an effort to calm her hammering heart. She _had_ to stand. She _had_ to join her family. Bracing herself against the armrests of her chair she closed her eyes and forced herself to her feet. Her hands were shaking, her stomach churning at the idea of leaving now.  
  
Her eyes opened and she surveyed her surroundings.  
  
The helm seemed so quiet without Tom. She could almost hear him talking about his latest holo-project or his excitement over B’Elanna’s pregnancy.  
  
She smiled at the thought and the memory of holding the baby girl for the first time only yesterday. Miral was as beautiful as her parents and would no doubt grow with their spirit and their – gumption.  
  
Kathryn turned to Tuvok’s station, her smile disappearing almost immediately. Tuvok had been rushed to Vulcan for urgent treatment. Apparently his condition had been worse than the Vulcan had let on, and he’d almost run out of time. His son would be meeting him there once he arrived so they could begin his healing. According to the Doctor, Tuvok would need to remain on Vulcan receiving treatments for around six months, if not, longer. She already missed him.  
  
The Doctor had attempted to assure Kathryn that Tuvok would make a full recovery, the doctors who had come to escort him to Vulcan, however, hadn’t been so positive. She couldn’t stand the thought that she may lose him, despite Admiral Janeway’s efforts.  
  
As she glanced toward Operations she imagined the bridge full as it had been only days beforehand. B’Elanna, Ayala, Seven, Wildman, Nicoletti, Rollins, all manning their temporary stations while on the bridge.  
  
Her eyes fixed on where Harry would have been standing. She remembered the shock on his expression as Earth came into view and how he’d remained silent for a long time, before pulling himself back to his work.  
  
If for nothing else, returning home had been worth it just to see Harry with his parents. His mother had held his arm so tightly Kathryn wasn’t certain she’d ever let him go. His father had the proudest smile as he wrapped Harry in a firm hug.  
  
Kathryn’s eyes wandered to the seat next to her own.  
  
Chakotay had been absent over the last months. Well, he’d been distant. It was her fault though. She’d pushed him away repeatedly. She couldn’t possibly have expected him to remain by her side. That didn’t dull the sting, however.  
  
She’d always held Chakotay out as a kind of reward should she manage to get her crew home. Like some carrot on a damn stick. Now another horse had stolen that carrot. She snorted at the analogy and rolled her eyes; pathetic and unpoetic, as per usual.  
  
Walking to the front of the bridge she leaned on the banister, head down. Of everything she could have messed up…  
  
Neither Seven nor Chakotay had even said goodbye when they left in the morning and that hurt almost as much.  
  
Still, Voyager was home now, her crew could be happy. She’d caused them enough misery to last a life-time. They deserved the best, and now they would have the opportunity to attain it.  
  
Drawing a deep breath, in an attempt to excise her melancholy, Kathryn forced her eyes to the viewscreen, to Earth’s image. They were home, they could _all_ have the best; herself included. She would be with her family, she could reconnect with old friends, and if she was lucky enough to escape court-martial, she could re-build her career.  
  
She caressed the banister fondly for the final time. She would miss Voyager terribly. Her heart hurt at the thought that she might never set foot on the ship again.  
  
“Thank you,” she whispered. Silly as it felt she wanted to tell the ship just how much she’d meant over the years. She’d harboured them, kept them safe against some of the worst possible conditions. Voyager had been their home, _her_ home for seven years. Letting go of that was going to be terribly difficult.  
  
_But_ she had a Christmas dinner to get to. She had a family to see. Eventually she had reports to submit, debriefings to attend and warrants to contest. Kathryn pushed herself away and headed to the turbolift. She’d have a difficult time keeping her emotions in check before she finally reached the surface. If she didn’t leave now, though, she might never be able to force herself to go.  
  
Just short of the lift, the doors opened, Kathryn almost walked straight into Chakotay whose shocked expression was likely a mirror of her own.  
  
“Chakotay!” she blurted awkwardly.  
  
“Kathryn, I – ah,” Chakotay responded. “I thought you’d left.” There was a note of – sadness in his tone; as though he thought she’d actually leave without saying goodbye to him!  
  
She shook her head becoming annoyed for the briefest moment before realising that obviously she’d been wrong about _him_ leaving without a farewell. “I was just about to leave, actually,” she muttered.  
  
He glanced around and gave a small smile, “couldn’t leave without saying goodbye?” he surmised.  
  
She gave her own smile, but ducked her head, embarrassed by how ‘on point’ he was.  
  
“Me neither,” he said with a note of affection. He moved past her, to the centre of the bridge, and examined their chairs.  
  
She was almost tempted to leave him to his farewell until he spoke again, “it’ll be strange."  
  
Glancing up curiously, she made a questioning noise, “hmm?”  
  
“Not sitting here, no banter, not – seeing you every day,” he revealed.  
  
Kathryn stared dumbly at him, heart leaping in her chest for a split second before she remembered his current relationship status. He meant nothing more than as friends. She shouldn’t really have expected anything more.  
  
“It will,” she responded dully.  
  
He glanced up at her and gave another of his devastatingly handsome smiles. _Well, that’s not going to help_ , she thought testily.  
  
His eyes flicked away again, to the viewscreen. He stared for a long time at Earth's image. Kathryn couldn’t convince herself to look at anything but him, though.  
  
Eventually his eyes returned to her and he gave a curious frown. “I thought you had Christmas with your family?” he asked.  
  
She hadn’t told him that.  
  
“I do,” she responded vaguely.  
  
His eyes skimmed their surroundings before fixing on her. “Why aren’t you there?”  
  
For some reason his question agitated her, she moved back to the centre of the bridge, folding her arms beneath her breasts. “What about you? Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”  
  
His eyes narrowed, but despite her tone he didn’t seem irritated, quite the contrary. He gave a small laugh. “Well, I was supposed to be in Arizona, but my cousin had to work late.”  
  
“Arizona?” she asked quickly.  
  
He cocked his head curiously. “Yes, where else would I go?”  
  
“Well, I assumed you’d be off to Sweden,” she answered, trying to hide her disappointment.  
  
“Sweden?” he appeared taken aback. “Why on Earth would I be in Sweden?”  
  
Ok, now she was confused. “I thought you and Seven left this morning,” she answered.  
  
His bewilderment turned almost indignant, “Seven? Why would I go _anywhere_ with Seven?”  
  
“Because you and Seven…” She made a vague gesture and frowned. She didn’t want to say the words allowed. She didn’t even want to look at him, really.  
  
His eyes widened. She wasn’t certain whether he appeared more shocked or angry. “Seven?” he exclaimed. “She’s a child!”  
  
She opened her mouth to respond, hotly, until she realised something. Kathryn was a master manipulator. She knew exactly which buttons to press to convince herself to make _certain_ decisions. Her future-self must have lied.  
  
Kathryn glanced away, trying to hide the small grin that lit her face.  
  
“The Admiral,” Chakotay stated, almost as though he could read her mind. He seemed to give this a moment’s thought before a smile appeared on his own face.  
  
_Damn!_  
  
“Why didn’t you ask me?” he questioned softly. He took a step toward her.  
  
_Because I was scared of the answer_ , she thought to herself. _Because I thought I already knew the answer_ , she added.  
  
“It’s not exactly something I could just – ask,” she responded. That was true. They’d grown apart in recent months. This was probably one of their longest conversations in some time, certainly since Carey died.  
  
“You can always ask me anything,” he said in a breath.  
  
Though he certainly believed his statement Kathryn didn’t think she’d have ever been comfortable asking _that_ particular question.  
  
To divert attention from their current conversation she moved down the bridge, past him and planted herself against the railing again. Her relief was palpable. She’d just prefer that he not be able to see that, at the moment.  
  
She wasn’t entirely too sure what to do with this information. She could hardly deny her feelings for him, but years of hiding, years of denial were difficult to decondition. She also had no idea whether he even reciprocated. They hadn’t spoken about their – feelings in some time. Even then those conversations had been heavily veiled.  
  
The best course of action, now, would be to change the subject. “I’m going to miss Voyager,” she whispered.  
  
He moved up next to her, proffering an affectionate smile. “There are a lot of things I’m going to miss.” His soft response caused her heart to skip a beat. She didn’t want to _dare_ think his comment was for her. Focussing her attention away from him her eyes fell on the door of her ready room.  
  
“Have you visited today?” he asked.  
  
The ready room had been stripped bare of her personal effects yesterday, sent to her mother’s house in Indiana.  
  
She gave a small, humourless laugh. “I sat in there for three hours this morning,” she confided. “It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?” she muttered. Her eyes flicked back to him. He didn’t speak, waiting patiently for her to continue.  
  
“I fought so hard to get us back home and now I don’t want to leave,” she explained with a smile.  
  
He shook his head. “No, that’s not ridiculous at all. Voyager has been our home for seven years,” he reiterated her earlier thoughts. Not for the first time since meeting him she wondered whether he might be able to read her mind.  
  
“I’m glad you came here,” she divulged. She was. Saying goodbye to Voyager would have left her a wreck once she made it to her mother’s house. “I’m glad you’re here with me, for this.”  
  
His smile held the warmth and strength that had kept her going for so long. “Always,” he whispered.  
  
As a reflex she placed her hand over his heart. Throughout the years she’d done this numerous times, her attempt to show him that she cared.  
  
They both jumped when Kathryn’s comm badge chirped. _“Lieutenant Derryn to Captain Janeway, I have an incoming audio communication from Indiana.”_  
  
She closed her eyes and shook her head ever so slightly. _Every time!_  
  
“Please patch it through,” she replied.  
  
Chakotay took a step back, eyes taking in the room again as Kathryn’s mother spoke.  
  
_”Katie, where are you? Is everything alright?”_ Her mother sounded more than a little worked up.  
  
Kathryn wanted to kick herself, her mother hadn’t seen her in seven years and she’d kept her waiting. She’d been selfish. “I’m sorry, Mom, I’ve just been delayed with goodbyes, on Voyager.”  
  
She noted the very slight slump in Chakotay’s shoulders, though she couldn’t see his face.  
  
_“We’re not starting without you, when will you arrive?”_ her mother continued.  
  
“I’m on my way now. Give me ten more minutes,” she answered.  
  
_“Alright, Katie, we’ll see you in ten minutes,”_ her mother responded, sounding more than a little relieved.  
  
The channel closed and Chakotay turned back to her. “I suppose this is goodbye, for now,” he spoke quietly.  
  
Kathryn had faced down some of the greatest threats known the Starfleet. She had fought while outmatched and outgunned and she’d barely broken a sweat all the while. In the face of those terrors one might describe her as brave, though she was just doing her job. The one thing she’d never been particularly brave with, however, was her heart. She’d been so scared to ‘lay it on the line’ that she’d almost lost Chakotay. If there was even the slightest chance, now, that she could walk out of this with him by her side…  
  
She drew a deep breath, bucking up her courage. “Why don’t you come with me?”  
  
“To your mother’s Christmas celebration?” he asked. His eyes lit up beautifully. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”  
  
“It’d be no imposition,” she told him firmly. “Your presence would _never_ be an imposition.”  
  
His smile in response made her heart skip again; genuine and wonderful with more affection that she’d witnessed in a long time.  
  
“Sounds like fun,” he responded happily. He offered his arm and she took it without hesitation, as she had done so many times before.  
  
They headed up the bridge, to the turbolift and entered together. Kathryn afforded one final look around before ordering, “Transporter room one.”  
  
Her throat constricted and her chest tightened as the doors closed, removing the bridge from her view. She still wanted to cry, despite Chakotay’s presence.  
  
He obviously sensed her distress. His free hand rested on her shoulder in a comforting gesture.  
  
No matter how she tried to fight, her eyes had clouded with tears. She gave her friend a thankful smile and noted that he too appeared more than a little misty eyed. She couldn’t help but wonder how many members of the crew had left crying.  
  
She placed her hand over his, thankful for his companionship.  
  
As the lift began to move Kathryn felt a tear fall down her cheek. She covered her face in her hand in a fruitless effort to disguise her upset.  
  
Chakotay’s arm moved around her shoulders and he held her tight. She’d have felt a fool if she hadn’t heard his own sniffling.  
  
They stayed, holding each other throughout the turbolift journey. When the doors opened Kathryn pulled away giving a small, apologetic smile before leading the way to the transporter room, around the corner.  
  
When the entered she froze again, feeling another wave of sorrow. Her shoulders slumped and she drew a deep shuddered breath in an effort to waylay further tears.  
  
“Are you alright?” Chakotay asked softly.  
  
She turned and smiled though her eyes didn’t feel up to the task. “I’m fine,” she replied. “I really am. We’re home,” she added quickly. “I’m fine,” she whispered again.  
  
Chakotay gave a short laugh. “I’m not,” he confided.  
  
She gave him a curious look waiting for him to elaborate.  
  
“I don’t have much on Earth,” he said. His eyes dodged to the ground before meeting hers again, “I had everything here.” His gaze became deep penetrating, the same look he’d given her so many times before, the look that had presented itself during their time on New Earth, or perhaps earlier. She’d thought it gone. She’d thought he’d left it behind on some far away world after one of their disagreements, one of her bad decisions, but here it was again. Had she been completely wrong about his interests?  
  
He cleared his throat, eyes flicking to the console behind him. “We should probably head down to the surface, before your family organises a search party.”  
  
Kathryn laughed at the joke. “Don’t say that when you’re around them,” she commented. “Too soon.”  
  
He gave a small, fond smile and motioned for her to stand on the transporter pad before heading to input a delayed beam out.  
  
She waited patiently, though she could feel her body rebelling against leaving. She had a strong impulse to leap off the pad and chain herself to something. That was _one_ way to throw her career away.  
  
Chakotay entered the delay sequence and moved up beside Kathryn. She wondered if he understood the sincerity of her earlier comment. If he hadn’t found her on the bridge, if he _had_ left with Seven, she wouldn’t have made it this far.  
  
As the beam took them their eyes fixed on one another and they smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

They rematerialized right outside her mother’s property. The sun sat low on the horizon, blocked now by the crest of a hill and _her_ tree, silhouetted against the light. And there was snow, inches thick, on the ground and a gentle fall from the few clouds overhead.  
  
_Winter_ , she thought. She’d almost forgotten about winter. The cold itself was almost a shock. She’d rarely had to deal with the cold on Voyager, for obvious reasons.  
  
Chakotay drew a deep breath beside her and rubbed his arms. Dorvan had been a rather warm planet and when he’d lived on Earth he’d lived in San Francisco.  
  
Not wishing to prolong Chakotay’s torture she took his arm again and they began to walk through the gate and up the drive. At first she couldn’t see much of the house but the light dwindled and her eyes adjusted to the dim, Kathryn gained the strongest sense of déjà vu. Before she’d left Earth she and Mark had walked up this same driveway, arm in arm.  
  
Her stomach turned and knotted as though she was heading to her trial, not to see her loved ones. She couldn’t help but think about all of the worst possibilities. What if they didn’t want to talk to her? What if they were angry at her for her decision to take Voyager’s mission seven years ago? What if they weren’t there?  
  
She stopped mid-step, earning a curious look from Chakotay. “Everything ok?” he asked again.  
  
Kathryn nodded, unable to even vocalise her lie this time.  
  
He gave a small smile, and though he was _probably_ freezing he waited patiently for her to buck up the courage to continue.  
  
“I’m afraid of seeing my sister again,” he told her.  
  
Chakotay knew her so well.  
  
She frowned curiously at him, attempting to hide her nervousness. “I’m certain she missed you,” she responded. _I would have_. “I’m sure she’s forgotten about why she was angry with you,” she added.  
  
“You’re probably right,” he said with a small laugh.  
  
She closed her eyes and gave a lopsided smile. There he goes, saying the right thing again.  
  
After another breath she finally plucked up with courage to continue.  
  
The driveway was only about two hundred meters, but it seemed an eternity to the door. All the while her anxiety increased. Chakotay was probably right, they weren’t likely to be angry or upset with her, but she’d changed _dramatically_ from the women they’d known seven years ago. What if they didn’t like what she’d become? She didn’t, after all.  
  
Finally they made it to the door. Chakotay took a step back as she moved up, hand hovering over the buzzer.  
  
“We can leave at any time, if you need to,” Chakotay said quietly. “But I don’t think you’ll need to.”  
  
Giving him another smile she pressed the chime and waited.  
  
“Katie?” Her mother’s voice called from in the house.  
  
Before Kathryn could respond the door flew open and her mother dashed out, grabbing her in a tight embrace. “My god, Katie! It’s you, it’s really you!” her mother cried.  
  
Kathryn clutched her mother tight remembering so many things about her, about the house, about life here. The way her mother wrapped her arms up and around Kathryn’s shoulders when she hugged her. The way she smelled. The warmth of the hearth fire, the scent of the various Christmas dishes she _knew_ her mother had prepared.  
  
The sensation was almost overwhelming, but somehow she managed to keep it together.  
  
Her mother pulled away giving Chakotay a cursory glance before motioning them inside, “you must be freezing, come on, come in!” she nattered.  
  
They followed gratefully into the centre of the warm, farmhouse living room. The furniture, rich mahogany was the same as it had been seven years ago. The mantle above the fireplace was lined with digital photo frames flicking through images of their family, some she recognised from when she and Phoebe had been children. Others were new, new memories made without her.  
  
Her father’s study lay neat and untouched, but for dusting, as it had since his death. She wouldn’t be surprised if she went upstairs now, to find her room the same as when she’d left.  
  
She couldn’t quite take in the sights around her. She wanted to look at everything at once. She wanted to touch everything, just to assure herself that she was _indeed_ here. They’d been fooled before.  
  
Her mother cleared her throat and Kathryn snapped back, returning her attention to the present. Her mother’s eyes flicked to Chakotay as though hinting that she should introduce them.  
  
Kathryn’s eyes went wide. “I’m sorry!” she motioned to Chakotay. “This is my first officer, Commander Chakotay.” Her hand moved in her mother’s direction, “and this is my mother, Gretchen Janeway.”  
  
Debonair as always, Chakotay proffered a hand and shook her mother’s with great care. “A pleasure to meet you finally, I’ve heard a lot about you.”  
  
That was the truth. Kathryn had spoken a lot about her family during their early conversations. Knowing Chakotay, knowing how attentive he was, he probably knew them as well as she did.  
  
“The pleasure’s mine, Commander,” her mother responded.  
  
“I hope you don’t mind, Mom, his cousin is working and he had nowhere else to go,” Kathryn babbled.  
  
Her mother’s brow rose and she was about to say something, but was interrupted by a new presence in the room.  
  
Phoebe walked in from the kitchen, moved right up to Chakotay and extended her hand. “Phoebe,” she introduced herself. “Single,” she added.  
  
Kathryn pinched the bridge of her nose.  
  
“Hey!” a voice called from the next room. “I heard that.”  
  
“Phoebe,” her sister said again. “Polyamorous,” she revised.  
  
_“Phoebe!”_ their mother snapped.  
  
To his credit Chakotay reacted rather well. He gave a small laugh, turned red as the couch cushions and took her hand. “Ah – pleasure,” he responded only sounding a little uncomfortable.  
  
Phoebe snorted a laugh as a handsome, forty something gentleman with dark hair and grey eyes entered, nursing a young baby.  
  
“Is this Grace?” Kathryn asked in a gasp.  
  
The gentleman, who Kathryn could only assume was Phoebe’s husband, Jack, gave a broad smile and held the eight-month old, baby girl up for her.  
  
“Yes, she’s rather boring at the moment,” Phoebe responded, “sorry.”  
  
Kathryn shook her head at her sister and rolled her eyes. “She’s beautiful, Phoebe.” Kathryn took the baby girl gently, nestling her in the crook of her arm, marvelling at the fact that her sister had created something so peaceful.  
  
“Aw, thanks sis!” Phoebe said, nudging her arm with a fist.  
  
Kathryn gave her a frightful glare, not that she’d lost her grip on the baby girl in any way.  
  
After only a short time Jack took the baby again. “I’ll go put her down for the – hour,” he said in an exhausted tone.  
  
“Good, then we can do proper introductions,” Gretchen said.  
  
Before Jack had taken a step away Phoebe threw her arms around Kathryn. “Oh, Katie,” she muttered. “You were such a pain, but _god_ did I miss you!”  
  
Kathryn couldn’t help but laugh. “ _I_ was a pain?” she exclaimed. She hugged her sister as voraciously as she’d hugged anyone.  
  
“So good to hear you finally admit it,” Phoebe muttered through tears.  
  
Kathryn gave another laugh and realised she, too, had begun to cry. “I didn’t miss you at all,” she whispered.  
  
Phoebe pulled away and cupped Kathryn’s cheek in an uncomfortably tight grip. “I didn’t miss you, either,” she replied, counter to her earlier statement. Her eyes told a different story, of course. One Kathryn hoped her own eyes conveyed. A story of the many tears she’d shed over the years. The anguish that Kathryn hadn’t been here for Phoebe’s wedding, or the birth of her daughter and the delight that Voyager had finally returned home.  
  
Her sister kissed her forehead and gave a laugh, which turned into a sob. “Thank you for coming home, Katie,” she said quietly.  
  
Kathryn smiled, though her eyes were beginning to sting with tears as well. “Thank you for waiting,” she replied. Her words felt ridiculous, though. What else would her family have done? It wasn’t as though they were going to pack up and leave Earth just because Kathryn was no longer around.  
  
A short time passed before Jack returned. Everyone received proper introductions – and then the questions began. Kathryn thought they would hound her for hours about life in the Delta Quadrant. Of course Starfleet had classified everything, but the incident that saw them stranded, at least until the debriefings concluded.  
  
Their first question, or more accurately _Phoebe’s_ first question, however, was directed at Chakotay. “How did put up with her for seven years?”  
  
Kathryn glared at her sister’s back as they were motioned to move into the dining room.  
  
Her first officer gave a short, nervous laugh before replying, “coffee, mostly.”  
  
She turned her gaze on him and shook her head. He merely smiled and returned his attention to her sister. “Your sister made it rather easy to get along with her,” he commented.  
  
Phoebe glanced at Kathryn with a curious raised brow and gave a smile. “Well, that’s unlike her,” she commented.  
  
“Just for you, Phoebe,” Kathryn retorted.  
  
The dining room had been decorated beautifully, with gold and red ornaments and tinsel lining the walls and the furniture. The table’s centrepiece, an antique silver candle holder held six red candles, all alight.  
  
“Please, take a seat,” her mother motioned to the table.  
  
Phoebe and Jack fought for the seats closest to the fire, giggling as they shoved each other aside. Well, at least they were perfect for one another.  
  
Chakotay watched in marked curiosity before glancing to Kathryn. She shrugged and took one of the two spots on the opposite side of the table to her sister and brother in law. Chakotay followed suit and took the spot to her left.  
  
Her mother merely clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, before departing, presumably to get the food. Kathryn stood again, ready to go and help her mother but Phoebe, who seemed rather settled in her ideal seat, waved her down.  
  
“Oh, no, Katie. She – wants to do this her way.” Her sister sounded as though she might be speaking from experience.  
  
They settled as they waited for Gretchen to bring out the first course and it didn’t take long for the questions to begin again. Kathryn rubbed her brow as Phoebe unleashed a torrent of questions aimed at Chakotay.  
  
“So you were in the Maquis? But you were in Starfleet before that? What was that like? I mean, I can’t imagine Starfleet were overjoyed that you-”  
  
“Phoebe!” Kathryn interrupted.  
  
Chakotay put up a hand and gave her a warm smile. “It’s alright, I’m sure I’ll be answering a lot of these questions in the coming weeks.” He returned his focus to Phoebe who leaned forward showing great interest. “I was in the Maquis. I left Starfleet to join the fight; I resigned my commission before leaving. That conversation wasn’t pleasant, to say the least, but I was doing what I believed was right, for my home, for my people.”  
  
“Wow,” Phoebe leaned further forward earning a nudge in the side from her husband.  
  
She glanced at him and shrugged. “You could join us,” she told him in a rather salacious manner.  
  
Chakotay, graceful as ever, tugged his ear in his discomfort. Kathryn wanted to crawl under the table. How was it possible that she was related to Phoebe? Jack merely smiled at his wife, obviously experiencing her – subtlety many times before.  
  
Kathryn decided this was as grand a time as any to interject with – anything. “So, where did you both meet?”  
  
The pair exchanged a glance, the tone of the room changing rather dramatically.  
  
Jack cleared his throat. “We met during the grief counselling for the family of your crew.”  
  
Kathryn blinked uncertainly. He wasn’t a family member of any of the Voyager crew, she was certain of that. She opened her mouth to question the fact he gave her a small smile.  
  
“My good friend, Alya Tyran was killed when Voyager was pulled into the quadrant,” he explained. Not a family member, a friend.  
  
Kathryn closed her eyes bringing up the Bajoran science officer’s face. She hadn’t talked to her much; she hadn’t talked to a lot of the crew who were killed that day.  
  
“I’m sorry,” she spoke softly.  
  
Chakotay’s disposition changed, he hung his head as though in silent prayer for the woman.  
  
Their moment of silence was interrupted when Gretchen returned carrying two trays. She placed one the first in front of Kathryn and Phoebe and the other in front of Chakotay and Jack.  
  
Kathryn stared at the two dishes that had been served. Turkey with roasted carrot, potato and garlic and in front of Chakotay pie, pumpkin she’d wager.  
  
Her mother wasn’t finished though, it seemed. She wandered off again returning soon after with a large bowl of mixed, steamed vegetable.  
  
The scents were incredible. She’d almost forgotten the smell of fresh cooked food. Well, Human fresh cooked food. The rich scent of the turkey was almost too much, in fact. Since many of her dinners had been with Chakotay she’d almost adopted a vegetarian lifestyle.  
  
Disregarding her ‘recent’ dietary changes her stomach grumbled. She could almost taste the garlic, the juicy carrots and the potato. She didn’t particularly enjoy pumpkin, but today she’d make an exception.  
  
Before taking her seat her mother paused over Kathryn to kiss the top of her head lightly. “Welcome back, Katie.”  
  
Kathryn served herself a generous plate of food earning a small smile from Chakotay. No doubt he was happy that he didn’t need to remind her to eat. She’d always been quite a fan of food. She was just easily distracted.  
  
Though there were likely many questions Phoebe _hadn’t_ asked yet they all enjoyed their meals in relative quiet. With the exception of both Kathryn and Chakotay making note of how delicious the food was, several times.  
  
Her family ate their meals rather quickly, Kathryn supposed this was probably normal behaviour, but she couldn’t help taking her time. She wanted to savour every succulent mouthful, apparently so did Chakotay.  
  
After a time, when Phoebe, Gretchen and Jack had emptied their plates Kathryn realised they were staring.  
  
“Alright, just a couple of questions,” she muttered between mouthfuls.  
  
She expected her Phoebe to begin a new torrent of inane questions but her mother beat her to the punch.  
  
“How did you do it?” Though Kathryn could have interpreted the question to mean Voyager as a whole, her mother stared at her pointedly.  
  
Kathryn was caught off-guard, her eyes flicked almost instinctively to her left as she searched for the answer. Her gaze softened with the realisation that she was looking right at ‘it’. All of her strength, all of her determination had come from Chakotay and by extension her crew. “I was never alone,” she realised aloud.  
  
Chakotay gave her a curious look that she could only interpret as ‘I told you so.’  
  
Her mother stared at her for a long time before her eyes flicked to her plate. “I’m so happy you’re home,” she said in a breath. Her mother tried to hide her upset, her exhaustion, but she didn’t quite manage. Tears began to form in her eyes and Kathryn was out of her chair before the first even touched her mother’s cheek.  
  
She knelt beside her mother’s chair and took her hand. “I’m sorry, Mom, I’m so sorry,” she couldn’t think of anything else to say.  
  
Her mother grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her into a rather uncomfortable hug. Seconds later she heard another chair being pushed out and felt Phoebe latch onto her side. “I hate you,” she cried.  
  
Kathryn gave a small laugh and turned to kiss her little sister’s forehead.  
  
They stayed in their embrace for some time, crying and admitting how much they missed one another. Eventually, when they turned around they found that Jack and Chakotay had moved on, probably feeling a little awkward around their rather intimate family moment.  
  
The table was cleared in relative silence, not before Gretchen made a point of asking whether Kathryn and Chakotay had had their fill. Though Kathryn hadn’t finished her plate she’d overestimated the amount of food she might be able to eat.  
  
The moment the tidying had been completed they returned to the living room. A rather excited Phoebe exclaimed, “presents!” This earned her a perturbed glare from her husband who glanced toward the stairs, indicating their baby.  
  
“Sorry,” she whispered, before adding at a much more reasonable volume, “presents!”  
  
Kathryn had left everything in her bags, which had been transported to her temporary accommodations in San Francisco. She hadn’t thought to keep something aside, to bring with her. She had plenty of curios and trinkets from the Delta Quadrant to give her family, how could she have forgotten them today?  
  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t bring anything for Christmas,” she uttered, feeling more than a little ashamed. Chakotay shifted uncomfortably beside her. She knew he’d feel at least as bad as she, if not more so being, a spur of the moment guest.  
  
Her mother stared at her, almost aghast. “Katie, you’re home. You’re back from the _dead_. That’s the greatest gift any mother could receive.”  
  
Phoebe gave her the warmest smile she’d ever witnessed from her sister which Kathryn returned in kind. This distraction allowed their mother to leave and return with not three, but four small boxes. She handed one to Kathryn, Phoebe Jack and then to Chakotay.  
  
The Commander blinked uncertainly.  
  
“I had a feeling you might be by tonight,” Gretchen told him.  
  
Kathryn made a point of avoiding the eyes of everyone in the room.  
  
“Thank you,” he said sounding _truly_ grateful.  
  
“My pleasure, dear,” her mother responded. “Now, these – well, there’s a story to go with these,” she said. Jack and Phoebe exchanged a knowing smile.  
  
Gretchen turned to Kathryn. “You see, when we found out you were missing we started a tradition of our own. A way to bring you closer to us,” she motioned to the coat rack before giving Chakotay an appraising look. “We’ll need to replicate you a coat,” she said.  
  
One of Kathryn’s parkers had been hung on the rack with what she assumed were Phoebe’s, Jack’s and her mother’s.  
  
Curious to know what this tradition might be she plucked her coat off the rack and put it on. It was a little more – snug than she remembered. Somehow she’d gained weight, despite the fact that she’d hardly had any time to eat on Voyager.  
  
Her mother and Chakotay moved to the replicator and returned with a rather lovely coat that fit him rather well. The long dark jacket made him appear broader and taller. She couldn’t help but admire the fit on him.  
  
Gretchen led the way out the back and began to walk through the field of snow, toward a small hill. Kathryn knew the area well, atop the hill stood an old oak tree, trunk split by a bolt of lightning when she’d been very young; her tree.  
  
Chakotay gave her a curious look as they began their trudge through the snow. “They didn’t have to get me anything,” he whispered.  
  
She grinned, “You don’t know my family.”  
  
He gave small laugh, “if they’re anything like you then I guess I understand.”  
  
They seemed to have lagged behind the others, Kathryn made a move to catch up until she realised Chakotay was intentionally walking slower. “Why did your mother think I might join you tonight?” he asked curiously.  
  
Her mother had been hopeful of a relationship developing between Kathryn and Chakotay since she’d mentioned him in one of their pathfinder chats. She’d pressed the issue a couple of times, but Kathryn had refused to acknowledge more than that he was a good friend.  
  
Gretchen Janeway was astute, however. She’d picked up on Kathryn’s feelings and now, had obviously assumed that their relationship had grown. This wasn’t exactly something she could just mention. She shrugged nonchalantly. “She probably just replicated it before serving dinner.”  
  
He nodded, accepting her answer for now.  
  
Before they reached the tree Kathryn could see items around it though she couldn’t make out what any of them were. She thought there might be chairs and a portable heater and something _in_ the tree. As she got closer she realised her oak had been decorated like a Christmas tree. She couldn’t make out any of the ornaments but she did see that there were unlit fairy lights weaving through the branches.  
  
“Katie,” her mother said proffering a PADD in her direction.  
  
Kathryn took the device and smiled seeing the wireless controls for lights on the screen. Without further prompting she tapped the controls and marvelled at the sight. They hadn’t just decorated her tree they’d decorated every tree on the property. From their vantage point she could see dozens of trees twinkling with various coloured lights, brightening the entire field.  
  
“It’s beautiful,” she commented.  
  
“When you went missing,” her mother began to explain. “We were devastated. When the first Christmas approached we decided that we wanted to do something to keep you ‘nearby’,” she motioned to the tree. “It had almost been a year since you vanished.”  
  
Kathryn began examining the ornaments dangling from the sticks and branches, dozens of them, all from presumably different cultures. She saw a small Vulcan lute delicately crafted out of wood, a gemstone cut in the same fashion as a Bajoran orb. She gave a laugh when she spotted a couple miniature Starships in the collection, not just Starfleet vessels.  
  
“It’s extraordinary,” she revised her earlier statement.  
  
“We began to give each other gifts to hang on the tree,” Phoebe explained as she opened her box. She snorted a laugh before pulling out an Irish setter dangling from a fine gold thread.  
  
Jack removed a model space station in the style of Jupiter Station.  
  
“There’s more than six Christmases worth of ornaments on here,” Kathryn commented.  
  
Her mother gave a small cough. “After I began to make them I decided that I rather enjoyed the work, the distraction. My job only kept me away for so long,” she explained. “So I’d make extras and only save the very best as gifts.”  
  
Kathryn’s eyes flicked between her gift and Chakotay’s. So much for her claim that she’d replicated the gift before dinner. She gave him a nod, an indication that they should both open them together.  
  
She opened the box and removed a snowflake made from light wood and painted in intricate detail. In the centre sat Voyager, carved so well she could even read the registration. She glanced up to see Chakotay’s, another snowflake, this time with the Val Jean in the centre.  
  
“These are magnificent,” she breathed.  
  
“Beautiful,” Chakotay agreed.  
  
If her mother had made all of these by hand…  
  
“When did you make these?” she asked.  
  
“I started yours when we first heard that Voyager was in the Delta Quadrant,” her mother answered with a smile. She motioned to the tree to indicate that they should hang them. Her eyes darted to Chakotay and she gave a small smile. “And I made yours, Commander, when Katie told me how much you mean to her and – well…”  
  
Her mother trailed off from the warning look Kathryn gave her.  
  
Chakotay rubbed his ear and concentrated rather intently on his gift until Phoebe cleared her throat and snatched the PADD out of Kathryn’s hand. “It’s freezing,” she said before activating the portable heater.  
  
The immediate area began to warm rather quickly and the distraction allowed Kathryn to pretend her mother hadn’t been talking. Sometimes Phoebe had her value.  
  
She had been right about the chairs, thankfully. They all sat except Phoebe. “I – left my gifts in the house,” she said. “Because I’m prepared – that’s why I joined Starfleet,” she added with an embarrassed smile.  
  
“You’re more prepared than those of us who _did_ join Starfleet,” Kathryn said with a laugh.  
  
“Well, yeah – I’ll be back in a minute,” and with that she made a mad dash back toward the house.  
  
“Just you let me know if she does that sort of thing with Gracie,” Gretchen spoke once Phoebe was out of earshot.  
  
Jack laughed, “I guess that’s what comes of marrying an artist.” Kathryn noted the way his eyes lingered in his wife’s direction and the hint of a smile that touched his lips as he spoke.  
  
Phoebe didn’t take long at all, though she was puffing when she returned with two wrapped bundles. One she handed to their mother and the other to Kathryn. She frowned at Chakotay, “sorry,” she poked a thumb in Kathryn’s direction, “she’s the perceptive one.”  
  
Kathryn closed her eyes thinking _just how right_ Phoebe was.  
  
“Oh, no, I wasn’t expecting anything at all,” he responded quickly with a wave of his hand.  
  
Gretchen wasted no time tearing open the package and grinned delightedly. The gifts were around the same size so, not wanting their mother’s gift to spoil the surprise, Kathryn tore open the top and pulled out a slim packet. Not unlike a Starfleet ration pack, it was a little larger and probably full of something far more desirable.  
  
The label read, ‘G’Nitar Dark roast, blend 75’. “Coffee?” she asked.  
  
“Only the best coffee in the quadrant! It’s grown on Tiris III, they cut it with a local herb and it’s – _so good_ ,” Phoebe responded in a rush.  
  
Kathryn smiled broadly, “how did you know I wanted coffee for Christmas?”  
  
“Weird! I know. It’s almost as though I’ve met you before,” her sister replied without a beat.  
  
Chakotay snorted a laugh.  
  
“There’s nothing wrong with liking coffee,” she defended herself.  
  
“Like isn’t _quite_ the term I’d use,” her mother interjected.  
  
“I’ve witnessed ten cups in a day,” Chakotay piped up. “And that’s just the coffee she told me about.”  
  
She turned on him, mocking affront. “Traitor,” she gasped. Surely she hadn’t ever drunk that much coffee in one day?  
  
This only made him laugh. “We wouldn’t be here without it,” he conceded wisely.  
  
“And don’t you forget it,” she added playfully, nursing her wonderful gift. After a pause she turned to her sister. “Thank you, Phoebe, this is a wonderful gift.”  
  
Before taking a seat her sister wrapped her arms around Kathryn’s head in a tight hug. “My pleasure.”  
  
As the night wore on they chatted about everything. Kathryn and Chakotay fielded some questions about Voyager. They had their own questions of course; about the war with the Dominion, about life in the Federation after Voyager’s disappearance.  
  
Interestingly enough none of the questions fell on Voyager’s encounters or their many battles, they were more interested to learn about the crew’s day to day life. What life was like with rationing, how close the crew became and what they did in their spare time? Kathryn attempted answers to most of the questions, but had a little difficulty with any directly relating to the crew. She spent as much time with the crew as she could but they weren’t as eager to gossip with her as they were with Chakotay. Kathryn found out some rather wonderful tidbits, like that Megan Delaney and Sue Nicoletti had dated for some time. Chakotay could neither confirm nor deny whether they were still together, however.  
  
After a couple of hours Phoebe and Jack had to leave. Being new parents they hadn’t been able to find much time to sleep and so they wanted to get Grace home and try to get some rest while they could.  
  
Once they were gone her mother yawned sleepily. “I haven’t really slept since I heard about Voyager’s return,” she told them.  
  
“I’m sorry, Mom. If you need to rest please don’t let us stop you.” Kathryn wasn’t tired at all. Though she was emotionally exhausted from everything that had happened in the past three days, she also felt invigorated. She had her family back, she’d gotten her crew home and she hadn’t lost Chakotay – as a friend, of course.  
  
Her mother took her hand and squeezed it gently. “Alright, Katie,” she said before standing.  
  
Kathryn stood as well, followed by Chakotay.  
  
“You room has been made up and,” she glanced at Chakotay. “Don’t make the poor boy walk to the transporter station at this time of night,” she added.  
  
Kathryn let out an awkward cough before her mother added. “The spare bedroom has been made up as well.”  
  
They hugged and her mother turned to Chakotay. “It was a pleasure to finally meet you.”  
  
“And you,” he responded.  
  
“I’m certain we’ll be seeing a lot more of you,” she finished.  
  
_“Thank you, mother!”_ Kathryn all but snapped.  
  
“Don’t stay up too late,” she called over her shoulder.  
  
“We won’t!” Kathryn called back. She _wanted_ to say, ‘but thank you for making my night incredibly awkward,’ though she wasn’t certain that would have gone over too well.  
  
“There you go,” she muttered. “My family.”  
  
Chakotay chuckled breathily. “Wait till you meet my sister,” he said.  
  
“I’m sure she’s lovely,” Kathryn responded as she took her seat again.  
  
Chakotay took the seat beside her, facing the tree. “Sure,” he agreed. “Until she asks you to marry me,” he added with a laugh.  
  
Kathryn didn’t comport herself as well as she’d have liked. She stared at him, mouth and eyes wide as though _he’d_ just asked the question. Not that the idea was terrible. She also didn’t want to indicate that the idea was outside of the realm of possibility. So she forced a smile. No, it wasn’t forced at all; she gave a genuine smile, but declined to comment further.  
  
They enjoyed a brief but comfortable silence, content to listen to the sounds of the Earth for the first time in a good many years. Somewhere in the distance Kathryn could hear a dog barking and she heard the susurrus of a light breeze rustling the remaining leaves of the trees lining the property.  
  
But she didn’t want to waste her time with Chakotay. “I didn’t really drink ten cups in one day, did I?” she asked.  
  
He laughed and gave her a beautiful, dimpled grin. “The day we first encountered the Borg,” he told her.  
  
She thought back and shook her head. “No,” she said thoughtfully. “I remember no more than six.”  
  
His grin broadened, “in the morning when I visited you, you said you’d had four.”  
  
She nodded in agreement.  
  
“Then during our lunch you had two more,” he continued.  
  
She could swear she’d only had one more.  
  
“When I came to drop off my report in the afternoon you had another one, and then you had three after dinner,” he finished.  
  
“Did I really?” she gasped. “I’m surprised I wasn’t vibrating through the bulkhead,” she joked.  
  
“Well, it probably helps that I only replicated decaffeinated coffee for you, during our dinners,” he revealed.  
  
She stared in shock. “You didn’t!” she exclaimed.  
  
“If I didn’t, you’d never have slept.”  
  
She bobbed her head in conciliation, he was probably right.  
  
“You really did take good care of me out there,” she realised aloud.  
  
He drew a deep breath. “Of course I did. You were under a lot of pressure,” he commented. “You needed all the help you could get,” he added after a moment.  
  
She smiled again feeling, once again, genuinely thankful that she’d had him with her all those years. “But you always went above and beyond,” she continued. “To ‘lighten my burdens,’ as it were,” she chanced a glance at him, noticing his lips perk at the line.  
  
For a breath he sat silent, as though contemplating what to say next. Finally he met her eyes. “It was always my pleasure.”  
  
She believed it. He never complained, never put off her needs. She was _certain_ she must have driven him nuts some days, but he always came through for her. Perhaps her earlier assumptions that she’d lost his affections had been misguided. She took a chance and extended a hand, as she had done before taking the mission to be assimilated.  
  
Without any hesitation he took it, thumb lightly caressing her fingers. His gaze never faltered, nor did his soft smile. She’d drawn breath from that look so many times during their journey. Her very worst days, when she thought they might be lost or that she might finally need to give in, his mere presence had been enough to bolster her once again. She would never have made it home without him.  
  
She felt as though they’d been struck by a bolt of lightning. The familiar spark that had been absent for so long, lingered over them, almost as though taunting them, or encouraging them.  
  
It was a perfect moment; under the stars, in a field of trees twinkling with fairy lights, reflecting off the snow. Their first day on land, their triumphant return to Earth and Kathryn wouldn’t have traded this moment for all the world.  
  
She wanted to say something. She wanted to pull back and control the situation. She _wanted_ to throw herself into his arms and not come up for breath until the debriefings were set to begin.  
  
But she wasn’t swift enough. Chakotay’s eyes darted to the ground and for a horrifyingly brief moment Kathryn thought she’d lost her opportunity again.  
  
He drew a deep and rather unsteady breath. “To hell with it,” he muttered.  
  
Just as she was about to pull away he met her eyes again, “I love you, Kathryn. I never stopped.”  
  
His words stole her ability for thought and she stared at him, unable to articulate her own feelings. She saw a nervous anxiety creep into his eyes as he waited for her response.  
  
A minute crawled by at a snail’s pace before Chakotay came to the wrong conclusion. He began to withdrawn, a deep sadness sinking in, behind the anxiety.  
  
“Wait,” she said. _One word down, a dozen more to go,_ she thought. She envied his courage. For someone who’d hardly blinked at a Borg cube, Kathryn sure was a coward when it came to this topic. She never had been before. It had been easy with Justin and with Mark.  
  
Chakotay was in a field of his own. He was nothing like the other two. Oh, he was brave like Justin and he was caring like Mark, but he had a beauty about him, his very nature. It was like comparing a Collie and a Labrador to a wolf. He was the best of them both – with dimples.  
  
“I thought you’d given up on me,” she finally managed.  
  
His expression turned sad and he shook his head. “No, never.”  
  
“I’m glad,” she told him.  
  
He gave a small smile, “glad?”  
  
“Because I never stopped loving you, either,” she responded. The strength in her voice actually surprised her. She’d expected the words to come out in an incongruous jumble of syllables.  
  
His face brightened into that dimpled grin again, the one that caused her so much internal grief over the past few years.  
  
Despite her outward calm her insides were a tumultuous sea of apprehension, fear and nerves. A part of her still wanted to run, still told her that this was all wrong, that she shouldn’t be doing this. But she shoved that irritating voice into the corner of her mind and kicked it for good measure. This was something she’d wanted for a long time, something she’d held to herself as a kind of reward for seeing the crew home safely. This might not have worked aboard Voyager, but here, on Earth, their future was full of possibility.  
  
She stood and pulled Chakotay to his feet in front of her. They stood closer than they ever had before, quite a feat for them.  
  
A first kiss was never something to be taken lightly, Kathryn always thought. The attention paid in that moment could make or break a relationship before it even began. She wanted to be sure that _this_ first kiss lived up to every expectation Chakotay may have had.  
  
She had dreamed of this moment for a good, long time and if she were one to make a wager she’d place everything she owned on Chakotay having done the same.  
  
In all honesty this probably wasn’t the best place for their first kiss. Yes, the area was spectacular and deeply romantic, but the cold wasn’t ideal. Numbed and frozen, with leaking noses and ears that were so cold they might as well not be there any longer had never been how she pictured this happening.  
  
But it was now or never. She drew her fingers along his brow, across his tattoo with a feather-light caress, moving to gently cup his cheek. His eyes closed at her touch and he drew a steadying breath as he leaned into her.  
  
His hand moved to her hip, the other holding her shoulder as he pulled her toward him.  
  
When their lips touched Kathryn delighted in his taste, his touch. His lips, soft and supple, blew away all expectations. She knew immediately that this was the last first kiss she would ever experience and the thought was wonderful.  
  
They took their time, tasting and enjoying everything the other had to offer. His tongue left her wondering what incredible encounters might await her in the near future. His loving embrace told her that she’d never be alone again.  
  
When they parted he rested his forehead to hers and whispered, “I do love you, Kathryn.”  
  
For the first time in a long time she had no doubts about his statement. “I love you, Chakotay,” she echoed.  
  
They remained still, holding each other for some time before Kathryn’s feet began to numb. Reluctantly she pulled away. “We should head inside,” she recommended.  
  
With a smile he nodded his agreement and after turning off the lights and the heater they made their way back toward the house.  
  
No matter what else their homecoming held Kathryn knew that life, from now on, would be perfect.


End file.
